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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. clip — to cut
  3. file — a document
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. press — to push
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. clip — a video
  9. chip — for betting
  10. press — newspapers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tear — from crying
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. file — a tool
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bank — of a river
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. file — a line of people
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bank — for money
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com